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Sunday, 4 March 2012

Cycle Touring Cambodia Angkor Wat

March 4th Angkor Wat

The famous Angkor Temples cover a large area and a bike is ideal to travel around. It cost $20 for a day pass or $40 for a 3 day which can be used over a week. Today we visited the 2 largest of the Temples Angkor Wat and Bayan. We paid a local guide $15 for a tour which I thought was steep but the tour was OK and it seemed to be the going rate.

There are far more of these buildings standing than the two sites we have visited before and this site was interesting as it was first a Hindu temple and later change to Buddhism. From what I could gather it has changed back and forth since it's construction in 1100s until the 1600s when nit was abandoned.

It was found again in 1850s when I guess the restoration and reconstruction started and has been dragging in tourists ever since.

Now as you would expect everybody is out to make a dollar so you will be pestered at every stop, my biggest concern was the security of the bikes, especially when I returned to find three lads selling something or another sat next to my bike and as I walked up I could see one of them playing with the dials on the combination lock.

With the exception of hotels everything else is more expensive here than Thailand which is a little surprising as in the non tourist areas it is far cheaper.